Cookbook critic: Chew on this -- lots of flavor in an hour or less

Even if you have never watched the chefs on "The Chew" cooking up a storm on ABC TV, you will find delight in their cookbook, as most recipes are easy to prepare, tasty on your tongue and easy on your wallet. Even better for our busy and sometimes hectic lifestyles are the prep/cooking times that rarely exceed an hour.

Anecdotal stories and Q&As on the five chefs add a personal dimension to the recipes, and the cooking tips offered are great for the novice and accomplished cook. Enhancing the cookbook experience is the wonderful photography of the finished recipes, not often found in cookbooks offered at this price point.

After seeing the photos, how can you not try the recipes for chocoholic whoopie pies or grilled bacon, chocolate-hazelnut sandwich?

Organizing the recipes by season provides easy menu planning, and prep and cooking times, number of servings, skill level and cost are offered for each recipe. The recipes below were my favorites as they are quick and easy to prepare and any leftovers taste great served the next day, if there are any.

For the peachy chicken, half the chicken stock for a more rich broth and for the chocoholic whoopie pies refrigerate any leftover filling to spread on just about anything to appease a sweet tooth, from sliced apples to graham crackers.

RECIPES

Potato leek soup

Servings: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

For the soup:

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 leeks, washed and sliced

2 stalks celery, minced

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups milk

1 bay leaf

4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

½ cup half-and-half

1 cup bacon, fried crisp and chopped into small pieces, for garnish

For the Irish cheddar croutons:

4 thin slices Irish cheddar cheese

4 slices country bread, toasted brown

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, leeks, celery and garlic, and cook until all have softened and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, milk, bay leaf and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the parsley and half-and-half. Allow to cool slightly. In batches, puree in a blender.

Serve with the Irish cheddar croutons and sprinkle with bacon.

To make the Irish cheddar croutons:

Preheat the broiler and place the cheese slices on the toasted bread. Broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots, about 2-3 minutes.

General Tso's chicken

Servings: 4

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

½ cold water

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

For the chicken:

3 tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound broccoli florets, blanched

1½ cups white rice, cooked according to package instructions

4 scallions (greens only), thinly sliced, for garnish

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, for garnish

For the sauce, in a large bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Add the garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, Chinese rice wine and the red pepper flakes. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch, salt and the pepper together until combined. Add the chicken and toss until coated.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with the vegetable oil. Shake excess coating off the chicken and cook until golden, 4-6 minutes.

Add the sauce mixture and cook until the sauce has thickened. Add the steamed broccoli and toss to coat with the sauce.

Plate with rice. Add the scallions and sesame seeds for garnish.

Slow cooker peachy chicken

Servings: 6-8

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 6-8 hours

For the chicken:

8 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs

Salt

Pepper

3 sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 onion, diced

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 cups chicken stock

1 cup peach preserves

1 tablespoon ginger, freshly grated

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the spinach:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 bunch baby spinach, washed and trimmed

Salt

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

To make the chicken:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Put the cubed sweet potatoes and the onions into the slow cooker and top with the seasoned chicken.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork tender.

To make the spinach:

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, add the olive oil and bring to medium heat. Add the garlic. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the spinach, season with salt, and cook until wilted. Fold in the sesame seeds and transfer to a platter. Serve with the chicken.

Chocoholic whoopie pies

Servings: 36 "pies"

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

For the cakes:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa (such as Droste)

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine salt

Cinnamon, optional

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 cup milk

For the filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup mascarpone

½ cup white chocolate, melted

To make the cakes:

Arrange the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. You can add additional spices, like cinnamon, if you wish.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg, and beat at medium speed until incorporated. At low speed, add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk, mixing until just blended.

Using a ½ tablespoon measure, drop 18 generous teaspoons of batter onto each sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cakes. Bake the 2 sheets at the same time, 5-7 minutes, until springy to touch. Let cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, and transfer to racks to cool completely. Change the parchment and repeat using the remaining batter (72 cakes total).

To make the filling:

Beat the butter and powdered sugar at low speed until blended, and then beat at high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mascarpone, and mix at low speed until blended, about 1 minute. Slowly mix in the cooled melted white chocolate.

To make the whoopee pies:

Match pairs of cake with the same shapes and spread the bottom side of 1 cake with filling (or use piping bag), and sandwich together with the other cake. Store the finished whoopie pies in a covered plastic container and chill for up to 3 days.

Cookbook Critic runs Wednesdays in the Plus section. This week's Cookbook Critic is Jennifer E. Stevens, who enjoys cooking, traveling, photography and exploring the great outdoors with her two teenage daughters and husband, Mark, in Larkspur.

If you're interested in being a Cookbook Critic, email vlarson@marinij.com and include a little about yourself, your town, your cooking expertise, any dietary restrictions and types of foods you like to cook/bake. Please put "Cookbook Critic" in the subject line.